


High Hopes

by everywinter



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Always a girl!Sungjin, Always a girl!YoungK, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-05-14 12:45:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19273624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everywinter/pseuds/everywinter
Summary: Between finding his place in a new unit and trying to work through his own problems, Dowoon gets to know Jae as more than just SVU's ADA. Finding understanding (maybe even love) between the two of them will take patience and dedication, thankfully, Dowoon has both.**Law and Order: SVU!AU, so there will be mentions of rape and violence. I don't intend to get graphic with the situations though.





	1. Chapter 1

When Dowoon walks into the squad room and Nayeon’s pacing outside one of the interview rooms with her hands on her hips, he knows it’s going to be a long day.

“There you are,” Her voice is unexpectedly brisk as she powerwalks her way over to him. “where the hell is the rest of your squad, I’ve been waiting for 15 minutes!”

“A tragedy.” Dowoon says, voice dry until Nayeon makes a threatening motion in his direction. “Kidding, kidding, sorry! What do you need?”

Nayeon gestures in the direction of the interview room. “All our rooms are full, and you know Vice is a gong show on the best of days. We needed somewhere safe to put her until CPS could come.”

“Her?” Dowoon immediately drops his backpack at his desk and glances in through the window to see a little girl pressed into the corner of the room, skinny arms wrapped around skinny legs. Sana’s sitting on the other side of the floor, quietly reading a book but keeping a careful eye on the little girl too. “Holy shit.”

“I know.”

“Why did you bring her here, where’s CPS?” Dowoon hisses.

“They said they couldn’t come get her until after lunch.” Nayeon says, massaging her temple. “We can’t keep her down at Vice for so long, it’d just scare her even more.”

“Where did she even come from?”

“Drug house. Made the bust about an hour ago and the poor thing hid into the corner of the breakroom and wouldn’t come out for half an hour. Tzuyu managed to coax her out with a muffin, but it was heartbreaking.”

“So… Are you going to leave Sana here with us-“

“Can’t.” She immediately cuts him off. “Momo broke her leg last week, so she’s still stuck on desk duty. We need her.”

“Your team’s almost double the size of ours,” Jinnie’s sudden arrival startles Nayeon so badly she jumps. “and you’re telling me you can’t spare her for a couple hours?”

“We can’t.” Nayeon insists, “She’s just a kid, she weighs like what 30lbs? You guys can take her.”

“Oh my god, we're not babysitting in the literal sense.”

Dowoon steps away from the two captains and slowly eases open the door to the interview room. Dowoon’s presence immediately sets the little girl on edge, she pushes herself as far away from the door as she can, somehow curls in even tighter on herself.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Sana sooths, “It’s okay, that’s my friend, Dowoon.”

“Hi,” He says, mimicking her tone and sitting down cross-legged on the floor. “what’s your name?”

The little girl doesn’t answer, but seems to relax marginally when Sana doesn’t react any further to Dowoon’s presence. She’s even skinnier up close and Dowoon guesses she couldn’t be older than seven, and she’s so small. The too big t-shirt is one he’s seen Sana wear before and the rainbow leggings underneath are worn but clean. There’s a hole starting to form in the toe of one of her socks.

She doesn’t make any noise, just stares at Dowoon suspiciously. It’s a strange look on a face so small and if the situation were different, Dowoon would probably laugh.

Jinnie raps her knuckles on the glass and startles the little girl so badly that she knocks the back of her head against the wall. He and Sana look out the window and Nayeon makes an impatient movement towards the door that stands in sharp contrast to the almost regretful expression on her face.

If not for the fact that the little girl’s arms wrap impossibly tighter around her legs, there would have been almost no acknowledgement that Sansa was leaving. Dowoon stays in the room with her, does his paperwork seated on the floor. She just watches him, the mistrust lessening as he stays on his side of the room and she on hers. Brianna comes in at one point and tries to coax the little girl into talking to her, hoping that another female presence will get her to open up a little, but the candy, toys, even the offer of games on her phone are ignored. To their surprise, when Bri gets too close, she glances to Dowoon for reassurance. Dowoon brings her a bottle of water and a sandwich, putting them a little ways away on the floor, and she doesn’t flinch any further away when he sits on the end opposite to her.

When Child Protective Services comes for her around 2:00 p.m., she screams and cries and reaches for Dowoon so desperately that he just can’t let them take her away. Jinnie somehow manages to sweet-talk CPS into letting her stay for a little bit longer (they say they’ll be back for her the next morning, no more exceptions) she scrambles back to Dowoon and takes his thumb in her too skinny hand before running back into her corner again. This time Dowoon sits next to her and she doesn’t protest.

Dowoon doesn’t see Jae come into the squad room so much as feel him. He has a commanding, confident air to him that makes the back of Dowoon’s neck prickle and his heart beat too fast. Jae’s staring at them from outside the window, waves Bri over impatiently, and doesn’t avert his gaze the entire time Bri presumably explains the situation to him.

The girl presses herself closer to the wall, looks to Dowoon for assurance when Jae comes into the room. He’s taken off his suit jacket and his suspenders are hanging loose against his hips. He looks smaller like this somehow.

“He’s okay,” Dowoon says, “his name’s Jae. He’s my… friend.”

Maybe she can hear the doubt in his voice, because Dowoon’s words don’t seem to comfort her very well and she tries her best to wiggle into the corner, using his body to block herself from Jae’s view. Dowoon can’t help the acidic glare he shoots Jae, the sharp wave of protectiveness that he feels towards the little girl, and the resentment that he feels towards the fact that Jae’s making her uncomfortable.

But Jae just tosses one of the couch cushions onto the floor, pulls his laptop out of his briefcase, and sets up shop on the floor across from them. Dowoon keeps trying to catch his eye and get him to leave, the girl’s still shooting Jae suspicious looks, but Jae steadfastly ignores them both and that just pisses him off even more.

He’s been with the unit for around three months and Dowoon gets along relatively well with everyone, but Jae’s the exception. Whenever Dowoon tries to contribute to the conversation or add some sort of insight, Jae just rolls his eyes and sighs or gives him this _look_ and continues on like he hasn't said anything. It’s beyond infuriating and Dowoon really doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong, but he refuses to let one grumpy ADA ruin his chances here.

Dowoon has to sprint out for a couple minutes to use the bathroom and when he’s back, Jae’s rolling a water bottle back and forth to the little girl. The look on her face is almost indulgent, while his is one of delight, and the sight brings a smile to his face. She spots Dowoon and makes an abbreviated gesture towards him, patting the spot next to her impatiently. Dowoon grins even wider. She and Jae fling the water bottle with increasing ferocity at each other from across the room and she even looks a little disappointed when he has to leave. She flinches when Jae holds out his hand for a fist bump, but the corner of her mouth twitches into something like a smile when he apologies.

It’s been 12 hours since his shift started, his ass is numb from sitting on the floor, he really needs a shower and he’s been watching cat videos on his laptop with the little girl for the past two hours rather than doing his paperwork, and he’s finding it really hard not to fall asleep. The little girl’s wrapped up in Pilie’s pink bunny blanket, sitting in a little nest of jackets and other blankets gathered from around the station, and her little eyes keep drooping, cheek pillowed against her knees. But every time they fall closed, she startles back awake, a look of terror in her eyes before she catches sight of Dowoon again.

Dowoon resigns himself to spending a sleepless night at the station, has already texted Bam-Bam to feed his cat, but he knows the little girl needs sleep. He’s already tried soothing music, cartoons that almost put _him_ to sleep instead, and but nothing seems to be working.

Jae comes back into the room, back from doing whatever it is that ADAs do, and rolls his eyes.

“Dowoon, you're decently good at your job, because I’m pretty sure that your babysitting career is right down the drain.” He slumps into the couch on the other side of the room. “It’s 9:00 p.m. way too late for little girls to be up.”

He’s a little offended, but the girl lets out a little huff of air that could maybe be a laugh so he lets it go.

Dowoon queues up another song, some sort of oldies that he vaguely recognizes, and almost jumps out of his skin when Jae starts singing along. His voice is sweet and smooth and Dowoon can’t look away from him. When he chances a glance over at the girl she’s fast asleep, head slumped against her knees and mouth open. Jae doesn’t stop at the end of the song, sings along with the next one, and by the third, Dowoon’s fallen asleep too.

He wakes up in the morning with a terrible crick in his neck and the little girl playing with a granola bar beside him. She doesn’t protest when Jinnie pulls Dowoon out of the room to tell him that they found the girl’s dad in LA. Supposedly, her mother had been an addict who’d dropped her off with the drug dealers as collateral and just never come back for her. Dowoon can identify the dad the second he steps in with a pretty blonde woman next to him. He and the girl have the same nose and chin, and there’s no mistaking the frantic look in his eye.

The father introduces himself and the blonde, his new wife. He seems desperate to see his daughter, tripping over his words about how he’d tired his best, hired the best lawyer he could find, but the courts still hadn’t awarded him custody and his ex-wife had run with their daughter the second she could.

“Judge said, ‘a girl needs her mother’.” He says, a bitter quirk to his mouth. “I wanted to keep Danny so badly, but the best I got was a weekend every two weeks.”

They try for a gentle introduction, but the second the little girl sees her father, she bursts into tears. They can’t exactly keep them apart after that, and despite the fact that her hair’s all greasy and she’s smearing snot all over his expensive looking sweater-vest, the dad’s arms are wrapped around her like she’s the only thing keeping him grounded.

Danny still doesn’t speak, just stares up at her dad and step-mom with big brown eyes and a smile that lights up the room. Before they leave, she takes Dowoon’s hand in hers and gives it a little squeeze. She walks out of the squad room hand-in-hand with her parents.

Dowoon drives himself home and falls asleep, face first and still in desperate need of a bath, in his bed.

* * *

He assumed SVU wouldn’t change him very much, the stint in narcotics was gruesome as fuck, but SVU dodges his steps and sneaks up on him in the most unexpected ways.

Dowoon kisses a girl after a third date and when she guides his hand under her skirt, he totally freezes because all he in see in his mind’s eye is the woman with the black eye and split lip who’d woodenly told him about how she’d bought a new skirt for her date. She'd told him to throw it away when it'd been released from evidence. How could she bear to wear it again, or even give it away, considering what had happened to her in it?

He’s holding hands with a handsome man in the park and thinks about the teenager they talked to last week who now lives with “FAG” spelled in ropy, ragged letters across his stomach.

It takes him a long time before he can so much as kiss someone without tensing up.

“It’s normal,” Wonpil says, when he confides in him. “the same thing happened to all of us. It’s hard when something that’s meant to be intimate and vulnerable is tainted.”

“But how do I fix it?” Dowoon squirms under Wonpil’s gaze.

“Come on,” He says, tossing his jacket to him and throwing a bill onto the table to cover their coffees. “you’re coming home with me.”

Wonpil’s house is more curated than Dowoon would have expected, considering how chaotic his desk at work is. There’s decorative cushions on the couch and some sort of hardcover coffee table book next to a burning candle. There’s a pair of vaguely familiar dress shoes next to an equally familiar pair of heeled boots.

“I’m home!” Wonpil says, toeing off his shoes and kicking them into a messy pile in the corner. “I brought the new guy with me.”

“Way to text first.” Dowoon barely stops himself from jumping when Brianna’s head pops out from around the corner. She’s wearing an apron over printed leggings and a t-shirt. “You’re lucky I wasn’t alone at the grocery store.”

“I knew she’d be with you, you hate grocery shopping alone.” He leans in for an easy kiss. “What’s for dinner?”

“Nothing if you don’t get back in here with the curry blocks.” Jinnie turns the corner, brandishing a carrot. “I told you we didn’t need two bags of these things, we’re going to be having carrot sticks with our lunches for the rest of the week.”

Wonpil goes over to her and gives Jinnie a sloppy wet kiss on her forehead. “I like carrots, we still have those hummus packs from the last Costco run.”

“Come on,” Brianna swings an arm around Dowoon’s shoulder, taking pity on how awkward he looks, and leads him over to the kitchen table. “do you drink? We have cider or some sort of disgustingly cheap beer only Pillie drinks.”

Brianna thankfully doesn’t comment on the way Dowoon jumps at the contact. “I’m good with either. Whichever one you have more of.”

“See, this is why he’s my favourite,” Jinnie says, putting a can of cider and a glass next in front of him. “thoughtful and polite. This is why I asked for him.”

“I thought you got stuck with me after I got tossed out of the Staten Island unit.”

“Tomato, tomahto.” Jinnie says, an unfamiliar grin on her face. “How do you handle spice, new guy?”

“Spicier the better.”

Brianna groans and Dowoon can hear Wonpil laughing from where he assumes the bedroom is.

Jinnie’s smile gains a mischievous edge. “Good man.”

“You’re going to regret it.” Wonpil says, leaning over Dowoon’s shoulder to steal a sip of cider from the can. “Jinnie’s a monster.”

The first bite of curry feels like lava in his mouth. Brianna and Wonpil don’t have any sort of outwards reaction and Jinnie looks happier than Dowoon’s ever seen her before. It’s one of the most bizarre moments of his life and he barely swallows his curry before a coughing fit overtakes him. Jinnie laughs, and Brianna just pushes her untouched glass of water over to him with a smile.

“Don’t worry, Dowoon.” Wonpil says, running a soothing hand over his back. “We’ve been eating this liquid lava for years, it grows on you.”

Dowoon watches the three of them orbit around each other for the rest of dinner. He’s surprised that he didn’t notice that they were together earlier. They move as a unit, Pillie passing over a napkin before Brianna even asks for one, Jinnie instinctively dodging the chunks of carrots in the pot when she’s scooping for Wonpil. There’s an ease between them that speaks of years of understanding, and they extend the friendship to Dowoon. They never make him feel like he’s intruding, and there’s enough banter between all of them that Dowoon leaves feeling like he’s learned more about them in three hours than the four months he’s been at the unit.

* * *

It gets easier with the squad after that. Any tension hadn’t been intended on the squad’s part, but Dowoon knows that he replaced a detective who’d been at the academy with Wonpil, so he has big shoes to fill.

Wonpil clings to him like a limpet and Brianna’s getting friendlier and friendlier with him too. The Captain’s always looked out for him, but she makes sure to drag him out to dinner with them at least once a week now.

“You’re too skinny.” She says, frowning slightly and watching intently as Dowoon shrugs on his jacket. “Are you sleeping okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He just barely keeps himself from saying ‘mom’.

“You watch that smart mouth of yours, Yoon,” Jinnie says, “or you’re going to be buying your own dinner tonight.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” He says, rushing ahead to hold the door open for her. “I’m lucky I have such a merciful and forgiving captain.”

Brianna laughs, loops her arm through Dowoon’s. “Laying it on a bit thick there, Yoon.”

“I’m not above groveling for free food.” He says, sticking his nose in the air. “I'm not about to bite the hand the feeds me."

“There will be no hand feeding from me.” Jinnie laughs, letting Wonpil help her into her jacket. “I draw the line at putting the train through the tunnel.”

“Guys, come on, we’ve gotta get the hell out of here or the restaurant isn’t going to hold our table.” Wonpil pulls Dowoon back and zips his jacket the rest of the way up. “What are you doing, it’s freaking freezing outside, you’re gonna catch your death.”

Dowoon gets a little too drunk at dinner when he tries to match Jinnie drink for drink, and the three of them drive him to their house instead of back to his apartment.

“Ugh, you’re heavier than you look.” Bri laughs, dumping him into their guest bed. “There’s towels and a toothbrush in the guest bath for you if you’re up to it. Don’t throw up in here or Jinnie’s going to make you clean it up with your face.”

The mental image makes Dowoon’s stomach turn and he groans and presses his face into the pillow.

“What did you say to him?” Wonpil scolds as he walks in with a clean shirt and shorts for Dowoon. “Don’t torture the poor guy when he’s already so out of it.”

“I wasn’t, I swear!” Dowoon lets his eyes drift closed again and he hears something that sounds like a kiss.

Wonpil lets out a laugh. “Stop that, you’re going to make me spill the water!” There a soft clink of glass against wood. “Dowoonie, there’s a glass of water and some Advil on the bedside table for you tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks.” He starts wiggling out of his pants, eyes still closed. “I really appreciate it. You guys are so nice to me. You’re like a family and you’re letting me be part of the family too. You’re like. My moms.”

Wonpil’s laughing so hard, it’s coming in wheezing bursts and Bri’s hands are shaking with her snickers as she pulls the blankets up around Dowoon’s shoulders. “Don’t get used to it, it’s just a special occasion.”

Dowoon’s brow crinkles. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Bri says, “it’s a Friday where we actually get the weekend off.”

“Holy shit, you’re right.” He says into the darkness when Bri turns the lights off. “That’s fucking bomb.”

He can hear Wonpil laughing all the way down the hallway and Dowoon falls asleep with a satisfied smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

“So, yeah…” Brianna keeps shooting the two of them apologetic glances. “I’d do it, but you’d be taking care of me rather than the other way around.”

Jae’s holding his glasses in one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other. “Why can’t you just post some unis in front of my door or something?”

“Do you seriously think Jinine would be okay with that after what the guy did to me?” Bri wiggles her leg, still in the cast, and winces. “I'm a hardy lady, you're like pipe cleaner with arms. Dowoon’s way more trustworthy than some rando.”

“I'm a black belt, but fine,” Jae puts his glasses back on and shoots him a wiry sort of smile. “guess it’s me and you, kid. I assume I can at least go to the bathroom alone?”

Jae stomps off without waiting for an answer and Bri give Dowoon a sympathetic pat on the leg. “Sorry, man. I know the two of you don’t really get along, but Wonpil has more experience between the two of you and Jinnie really wants the threat neutralized as quickly as possible.”

“Understandable, considering the asshole took a pipe to your leg.”

“Trust me, I’m not thrilled either. It’s going to be near impossible to keep everyone from drawing dicks all over this thing.”

"You know Wonpil's going to get you while you're sleeping, right?"

“Yoon!” Jae’s standing next to the door, briefcase tucked under one arm and typing furiously on his phone. “Get a move on, or you’re going to have to run behind the car after me.”

Dowoon keeps his expression deadpan as he looks at Bri. “Pray for me.”

“God and I are pretty good, but I don’t have _that_ much weight with the big guy.” Bri laughs, “Call me if you think one of you is going to die.”

The ride to Jae’s apartment is one of the most awkward of his life. They take a taxi, since neither of them drove, and even the driver can feel the obvious tension in the air and keeps shooting Dowoon these sympathetic glances in the rear-view mirror.

“Home sweet home.” Jae’s voice is dry as he ushers Dowoon into the apartment. “Make yourself comfortable. Pardon the mess, I wasn’t exactly expecting company.”

The apartment’s furnished with pieces that are similar but not exactly matching, like he'd accumulated them over the years. There’s bookshelves lining the walls rather than paintings and a hoodie thrown haphazardly over one of the chairs in the kitchen. There’s a couple dirty dishes in the sink, but nothing that Dowoon would really consider a mess.

“I’ll omit it from my report.” Dowoon says, taking off his shoes and trying to find a place to sit that wouldn’t make him feel so much like he’s obviously intruding on Jae’s sanctuary.

The couch is well worn but comfortable. The blanket looks homemade and he wonders who sat hour after hour putting their time, effort, and love into the yarn in hopes of keeping Jae warm.

“I, uh, don’t have a guest room.” Jae’s still standing in his kitchen, fingers tapping against the leather of his briefcase. “The couch is super comfortable though. I’ve got loads of blankets and pillows I can bring out for you.”

“I’m good with the couch, you don’t have to worry about me.” Dowoon says, “Just go about your business as usual. I’ve got a book, I can entertain myself.”

Jae stands for a couple more seconds before scuttling off to where Dowoon assumes his bedroom is. Dowoon takes off his jacket, pulls out his book and tries to do as Jae suggested and make himself comfortable as he listens to the water start to run.

Easier said than done.

He tries to concentrate on his book, but his eyes keep wandering around the room. The bookshelves seem to be organized by subject, non-fiction separate from fiction, and most of his novels are fantasy (no true crime). There’s no law books and Dowoon knows they’re all lining the walls of Jae’s office. There’s knickknacks and picture frames in front of some of the books. Jae looks a couple years younger in one of the photos, beaming at the camera next to Jamie and Kevin. Dowoon doesn’t know the other ADAs well, but Kevin’s been nice every single time they’ve spoken and even though Jamie scares him a little, BamBam says that she’s the best ADA that narcotics has ever had.

There’s pictures of who Dowoon assumes is his family too, but he tries his best to skim past those ones. Jae never talks about his family, at least not to Dowoon, and he feels like he’s intruding even more.

“You eat yet?”

Dowoon startles at the sound of Jae’s voice. “No, but you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m not worrying about you, I don’t want to have to deal with you puttering around my kitchen in the dead of night.” Jae collapses into the armchair beside the couch. “Any allergies? Greek, or Indian?”

“No allergies, and no preference.”

Jae groans and slumps further into the armchair. “Come on, are we really going to play that game? Just pick one.”

“I really don’t have a preference!”

“So you’re not going to care if I get the spiciest curry on the menu?”

“No at all.” Dowoon says easily, “I regularly have dinner with the Captain, I’m well trained.”

He shudders. “I see we’ve lost another one to Jinnie Park’s cult of devil sauce.”

“I stopped crying after the third time.” Dowoon says.

“You had it more than three times? Jesus, you really wanted to fit in, huh.”

Dowoon feels his ears flush and chooses to go back to his book rather than answer him.

Jae mutters, “Greek it is.”

There’s the gentle clatter of his cellphone being placed onto the coffee table before Jae gets back up and goes to sort through the records on one of his bookshelves. Dowoon chances a glance at him over his paperback. He’s never seen Jae dressed down before and it’s almost a little absurd. His hair’s free from product and it makes him look younger. His sweatpants are a little too short, elastic ending inches above his ankle bone, and the back of his white t-shirt sticks damply to his skin.

Dowoon feels like shaking himself. This is Jae. Jae who’s a giant asshole to him and mocks him, points out all his insecurities. He hated online dating, but maybe he should start back up again if he's reached this point of desperation.

Jae suddenly glances over his shoulder. “What are you staring at, Yoon? If you set me on fire with your brain, you’re going to be in real big trouble with Jinnie.”

“Sorry.” He mumbles, forcing his gaze back to his book. Maybe this time he’ll just try a different website.

* * *

He’s pouring coffee into the giant mug that he brought from home when a sudden hand on his shoulder startles him so badly he ends up pouring hot liquid all over his hand.

“Jesus, Dowoon, save some for the rest of us.” Jae says, pushing past Bri while she apologizes and tries her best to clean his sleeve with a tea-towel on the counter. “You’re not the only one desperate enough to turn to the shit coffee around here.”

The burning throb in his wrist only feeds his anger. He’s about to do his best to verbally eviscerate him, when Bri beats him to it.

“Oh shut the hell up,” She says, shoving him in the shoulder with more force than can be strictly considered playful. “don’t you think we’re all upset that that bastard got away? Jury acquitted. Is it disgustingly unjust? Of course, but it’s not Dowoon’s fault and it doesn’t mean you can take your mood out on him.”

Jae has the good sense to look guilty, but he doesn’t apologize. Not that Dowoon expected him to.

He’s worn thin too. The victim had to be wheeled into the courtroom and the full casts on his legs had prevented him from actually getting onto the witness stand. His voice hadn’t wavered, even as tears ran down his face, and Dowoon had clenched his fists so tightly his nails had left imprints in his palms. It was hard. He’d been so strong, the team had worked so hard, and they still hadn’t been able to get the jury to convict.

Dowoon feels like all the energy drains from him at once and he looks sullenly at the sludge in his mug.

Bri sighs, drapes her arm over his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go get some real coffee.”

“There’s a Starbucks a couple blocks down.” Dowoon says, pouring the coffee into the sink and putting the mug back into the dishwasher.

“I said real coffee, Dowoon.”

Bri sends him into the little coffee shop with everyone’s drinks while he goes to the bakery down the street to get everyone a snack. The little piece of paper only has Jinnie and Wonpil’s orders, but he grits his teeth and gives the barista Jae’s usual order too. Bri smirks but doesn’t say anything when he sees the caramel macchiato, half-sweet, soy milk, in the tray.

When the food and drink is put onto Bri’s desk, the squad descends like locusts, hovering over the box of baked goods and groaning dramatically into their cups of coffee.

“Bribri, babe, I knew you wouldn’t do me dirty.” Jae says after taking a huge gulp of his drink. “May the god of your choice bless you.”

“You should be thanking Dowoon, I sent him for the lifeblood, I just got snacks.” She says around a mouthful of scone.

Dowoon hides his smirk behind his own cup of coffee.

“Thank you.”

Jae’s pinched expression makes Wonpil burst into laughter and Dowoon finds it difficult to keep himself from doing the same. “You’re welcome, it wasn’t any trouble.”

There’s a couple uncomfortable moments before Jae gives Dowoon a nod and hightails it out of the room.

It’s almost cute.

* * *

It’s like Dowoon’s found the missing piece of the puzzle. Whenever Jae barges into the squad room with a scowl on his face and his tongue lashes more sharply than usual, he goes out of his way to be nice. Gives him the most genuine smile he can, or does something a little out of his way to make Jae’s life a little easier.

He remembers him when he goes for lunch runs, and ignores him instead of biting back when Jae says something particularly cruel. But the cutting words become increasingly infrequent. It’s hard to be mean to someone who always has a smile for you and responds calmly when you scowl and snap at them.

“Jesus, Yoon, how do you even see the screen on this thing?” Jae says, leaning over his shoulder to squint at the computer screen.

“It hurts my eyes when it’s too bright.” Dowoon protests, “You could just wait for me to cc you in the email instead of breathing all over me.”

“Shut up and type faster.”

It’s hard enough to type with someone looking over his shoulder but Jae smells good, something fruity and woodsy, and it’s really distracting.

“And sent.” He says, clicking his mouse with gusto.

“I’m pleasantly surprised, this means I’ll be able to get back to my office before sundown.”

“You’re welcome.” He says drily.

“Never let it be said that I’m an ungrateful coworker.” Jays yanks a chocolate bar out of his jacket pocket with a flourish. It’s a little melty and squishy in some places, but Dowoon can’t hide the excitement in his face. “Jesus, you’re like a small child, it’s just chocolate.”

He rips it open and immediately takes a bite out of it. “Thank you.”

Jae just waves him away, but Dowoon catches him glancing back at him before he gets out of the building.

Dowoon feels like he’s winning a war Jae doesn’t even know they’re fighting and it’s supremely satisfying.


	3. Chapter 3

Dowoon tries his best to ignore the stinging in his cheek as he rummages through the freezer for something cold. If he finds out who keeps using all the ice without refilling it, he’s going to wreak havoc.

“Soccer mom really got you, huh?” Dowoon almost smacks his head against the top of the freezer at the sudden sound of Jae’s voice. “Holy, Yoon, calm yourself. Get over here.”

He lets Jae’s steady hand drag him over to one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the break room. Jae shoves a cup of coffee into one hand and an instant ice-pack into his other one. “Put this on your face.”

“I didn’t know we stocked these.” Dowoon says, wincing when he presses it firmly against his face.

“We don’t. I keep them in my office for Bri when she comes wailing about how someone’s damaged the ‘money maker’.”

That makes Dowoon snort and the movement aggravates his bruised face again. “At least she didn’t break skin. Did you see her nails? I don’t know how people work with those.”

“Well, she’s a lady of leisure.” Jae says, taking a long sip of his own drink. “We peons could never understand.”

“I guess we’re just not high class enough to understand the appeal of sleeping with your child’s soccer teammates.”

“Maybe if we moved the decimal place on our paycheque two places to the right.”

“One can only dream.”

Jae’s staring at him, eyes bright behind his glasses, and Dowoon bites his lip to keep from laughing out of awkwardness. They’re pretty much never alone together and he’s not too sure how to react without one of the others to act as a buffer between the two of them.

Jae narrows his eyes and Dowoon readies himself for some sort of scathing comment, but Jae just turns to the side and lets an almighty sneeze out into his elbow.

“Anyway, see you around, Yoon.” He says, giving him a lazy salute. “Remember, only ice it 15 minutes at a time.”

He manages a dazed, “Thank you!” to Jae’s retreating back before taking a careful sip of his coffee. Dowoon presses the ice pack against his face more firmly. It hurts, so this isn’t a dream.

Maybe he’s concussed.

* * *

“Counselor,” Dowoon puts the cup into Jae’s outstretched hand before he even sits down. “Captain sent me over, something about making sure you got out of here before 7:00 P.M.”

“Yeah, well tell her she’s a hypocrite and I’ll leave when she does.” The light from his laptop screen reflects off his glasses. “No rest for the wicked, so I’m not getting any either.”

Dowoon shakes his head. “Bri’s already bodily dragged her out. They’re having pasta night with Wonpil.”

Jae finally looks away from his screen. “And you’re not invited?”

He rolls his eyes. “Despite what he’d like you to believe, Wonpil and I aren’t joined at the hip.”

“That’d make takedowns pretty complicated.” The corner of Jae’s lip quirked. “Can I convince you to give me another hour?”

“I’ll give you 15 to finish your thoughts and save your stuff.” He leaned forward. “I won’t even tell the Captain if you bring your laptop home.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Jae laughs, “do we wanna go to the vegan place again?”

Dowoon wrinkles his nose. “I liked it okay, and I said I’d humor you once, but if I ever have to eat another piece of coconut-bacon it’ll be too soon.”

“Fine, you heathen, what’s your suggestion then?”

“One of the guys I went to the academy with suggested a really good BBQ place within walking distance.”

Jae sighs and waves him away impatiently. “You make reservations, and leave me to finish up in peace.”

Dowoon looks down at his watch. “15 minutes, Counselor, I’m keeping track.”

“You do realize I don’t have to listen to you, right?” Jae calls as Dowoon walks out to call for reservations.

Jae’s out of his office before Dowoon even has his phone in his pocket. He glances down at his phone, less than ten minutes, a new record.

“They said they’d have a table in 45 minutes. Do you wanna walk extra slow or stop by that second-hand bookstore you like?”

“Bookstore.” Jae says without hesitating, holding the door open for Dowoon. “I want to see if they have this sci-fi series that a friend mentioned to me last week.”

“You finished the one from before already?”

“Shush, I need backups just in case.”

“There’s a reason the shopkeeper adores you.”

Jae laughs. “Please, like he doesn’t give you a discount every single time you buy something.”

“What I can say?” Dowoon says loftily, barely keeping himself from tripping over an uneven patch of sidewalk. “I’m charming like that.”

Jae rolls his eyes, but Dowoon can see the smile tugging at his face. He grins back.

* * *

The whole squad’s out for drinks one night, and somehow he and Jae are left alone in the booth together while Bri drags Jinnie and Wonpil to the dance floor. Jae spends the beginning of the night rolling his eyes at everything Dowoon says and pressing himself as close to the wall, away from Dowoon, as possible. Initially, he considers doing the same, treating Jae with the same sort of distain he always shows him, but he’s already eight months in and knows that if he doesn’t make an effort to get along with the ADA now, it’s just going to be an even bigger mess in the future.

He chugs the rest of his rum coke and takes a deep breath in through his nose. “So, I’m sure you get this a lot, but why criminal law?”

Jae assesses him though his wire-rimmed glasses. “I wanted to help people.”

He draws designs in the condensation on the table. “I’m lucky to be where I am, my parents supported me financially through school, but I do understand what it’s like to be in a position of helplessness. I didn’t have anyone to stand up for me under those circumstances and I don’t want for anyone else to have to go through what’s the worst moments of their lives alone.”

Jae’s face is a little flushed and his lips look wet from whatever he’s drinking, and it makes something warm bloom in Dowoon’s chest.

“I can totally understand!” Dowoon says, popping another ice cube into his mouth. “What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t gone into law?”

“Maybe politics.” The corner of Jae’s mouth quirks. “I don’t necessarily think that I’m slimy enough for it though.”

Dowoon smiles back. “I considered teaching.”s

“I’m having trouble imagining you wrangling a bunch of teenagers.”

“I was actually thinking elementary school music.”

“Seriously?” Jae laughs, “I saw the way you were with that kid, I’m not sure that I can imagine you trying to control 20 of them.”

“She was traumatized, I was trying my best!” Dowoon fights his pout back into a neutral expression. “Danny held my hand before she left, she liked me!”

“To be fair, you’re pretty easy to like.” Jae moves closer to him, his hearts start pounding in his chest and his ears burn when their knees brush, when his hand creeps up Dowoon’s leg. “I really didn’t want to like you, but I have to admit you have a certain type of… allure.”

Dowoon lifts his hand up towards Jae’s face, they’re only about a breath away, and Jae’s long straight lashes cast gentle shadows on his face.

“Oh shiiiiit!” Jae springs away from Dowoon like he’d been burned, and Dowoon has never wanted to punch Bri in the face so badly in his life. She’s drunk out of her mind, and leaning heavily against Jinnie. “Pillie, _look_.”

The easy going, confident, cold ADA mask slides back over Jae’s face and smooths his hair back before sliding out from the booth. The space beside Dowoon instantly feels colder.

“I’m gonna grab another drink, do you want anything?”

“Yeah, a double please.” He goes to reach for his wallet, but Jae waves him away.

“It’s on me.”

Bri latches onto Jae the second he walks by and says something into his ear. He can see Jae rolling his eyes from where he’s sitting, but he lets Bri pull him over to the bar anyway.

Dowoon feels something uncomfortable twist in his stomach and he isn’t sure what Bri’s saying to him, but Dowoon hopes she has the hangover from hell.

Brianna comes back with Dowoon’s double, Jae nowhere to be seen.

“Where’d he go?” He doesn’t have to clarify who he’s talking about.

“Said he was tired and went home.” Bri slurs, leaning heavily against Dowoon. “I’m tired too, so if you can finish that lickety-split, we can all go home.”

He slams the drink back and helps Jinnie drag Wonpil and Bri back upstairs into their bedroom. Dowoon strips off his clothes and flops into the familiar guest bed alone, and wakes up in the morning with Wonpil snoring softly. He never would have taken Wonpil for a big spoon, but his back feels all sweaty from where he’s been clinging to him.

The doorbell’s ringing insistently and Dowoon elbows at Wonpil, but he stubbornly flips away from Dowoon and buries his face into the sheets instead. He doesn’t know where Bri and Jinnie are, but the door’s still ringing, so he pulls on a random t-shirt from out of one of the drawers and tugs it on over his head while making his way to the door.

He swings open the front door. “For God’s sake, what do you want?!”

Jae’s standing on the other side, eyes wide, mouth open in a perfect “o” as his eyes scan Dowoon. He suddenly realizes how this look, Dowoon’s hair is rumpled, this t-shirt definitely isn’t his considering how it fits, and he’s only wearing his boxers.

There’s a million emotions running through Jae’s eyes that all run to a grinding halt when it settles on his ADA Park face. The one he slaps on right before he goes to court.

“I’’m sorry, I just wanted to see if Jinnie had any insight on this case…” The vein in his neck jumps again. “I can see she’s probably occupied though, so I’ll just come back later.”

“Jae, wait-”

He holds up his hand. “No need to explain, message received.”

The disdain from before is back and it feels like a slap in the face. “Jae, please-”

“I actually thought we had something.” Jae hisses, his mask of calm slipping. “Explains why you’ve been bounced from precinct to precinct, huh? Haven’t you heard of not shitting where you eat? Have you been cozying up to all your new coworkers, or are we just special?”

Dowoon can’t feel his fingertips, he’s suddenly freezing cold, shaking from anger.

“Nothing to say?” It’s like his jaw’s locked, and Jae just rushes forward. “You know what, it’s probably for the best, I don’t want to hear what you have to say anyway.”

Jae turns around and stomps away, his black wool coat flapping dramatically behind him.

Dowoon wants to yell something snappy at his retreating back, wants to throw something at his back, but he’s stuck in place.

He watches Jae go and then walks back into Jinnnie’s house alone.

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/everywinter1)/[CC](https://curiouscat.me/everywinter)


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